BBC executives, Pippa Middleton, and Sally Bercow are to be named as the
sinners of the year the public would be glad to see the back of in the
English National Opera’s production of the Mikado.

The opera will take aim at disgraced cyclist Lance Armstong, MP and reality TV contestant Nadine Dorries and former director of the CIA David Petraeus in the annual list of the great and good who have fallen out of favour.

Outlining “society offenders who might well be underground”, the mischievous list is read by character Ko-Ko and states those involved would “never” be missed by the British public.

This year, the “little list” will include a host of senior BBC figures, MPs and celebrities embroiled in public scandal.

Compiled by Richard Suart, the 61-year-old actor and opera singer playing High Executioner Ko-Ko, the rhyming list has now been revealed for the first time.

It is a significant departure from earlier versions of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, which more tactfully criticised only wider groups of people such as “those with irritating laughs”.

Suart, who has appeared in 13 different ENO revivals of the Mikado over the last 26 years, said his three verses this year were more than “slightly naughty”.

His first verse includes a dig at Pippa Middleton, whose new book Celebrate has been criticised for its poor sales and over-simplistic content:

It reads: “And the sister of the Duchess who has brought out a new book/ It's not sold well at all but her back cover's worth a look.”

Other lines refer to “Pooh Bah Patten who attempts to chair the BBC” and the former director-general George Entwistle.

More subtle references include “that MP who’s no longer a TV Celebrity”, “the Speaker’s wife who wore a sheet and preaches Trial by Twitter” and the “Tour de France competitor who's doping's just been caught”.

Saying it would include “anybody who has slightly stepped out of line or fallen off their pedestal” this year, Suart added he hoped to get away with singing his scathing list in the spirit of good fun.

“Some people are very generous about appearing,” he said. “Others I fear may never speak to me again.”

The Mikado opens at the London Coliseum on December 1 for 12 performances.